Insole for boots and shoes.



G. W. BELONGA.

INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16, 1908.

909,138. Patented Jan. 12,1909.

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ENTTEE STATES PATENT @EEETQE.

GEORGE W. BELONGA, OE LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE A.

JONES, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

INSOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed March 16, 1908. Serial No. 421,510.

. of insoles for boots and shoes, and consists in an improved composite insole which is light and elastic but is nevertheless well adapted to hold stitches which the ordinary cork sole does but imperfectly, and which so far conforms to the shape of the foot as to assist in supporting the foot against any tendency to turn over, thus contributing to the comfort and healthfulness of the shoe in which the insole is used,

- and increasing the wearing qualities of the shoe in which it is used.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a top plan view of an improved composite insole embodying one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the insole shown in Fig. 1 along line 2'2; and Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the manufacture of my new insoles according to my preferred form, I first take a cork sheet of the desired thickness and firmly cement thereto, preferably at both sides, sheets of thin but strong textile fabric such as cotton drilling. From this sheet, the blanks for the insoles are then cut. I then apply to the cork-fabric blanks a band of thin, tough, flexible material, preferably a good quality of leather, laying this hand all about the margin of the cork blank on one side thereof, cementing the band to the cork-fabric blank. Thus in Fig. 2 (which represents the insole of exaggerated thickness so as more clearly to show the parts) A is the cork sheet, 13 the lower textile reinforcement, G the upper textile reinforcement, and D the upper marginal band. In order to curve the band around the toe and heel of the insole, it may be crimped or slashed as at cl. The band D is cemented to and pressed firmly upon the insole blank. The band D is tapered in thickness from its o uter margin inward, thus imparting to the upper surface of the completed insole a slightly hollowed or. cupped surface, the inner margin of the band being so thin as to form a substantially continuous surface with the surface of the blank without making any appreciable ridge. An insole thus constructed having its greatest thickness at its extreme margin, whence it is tapered inward for the width of the band, leaving the body of the insole flat and of uniform thickness, affords for the foot not only a flat tread for the major part of the area upholding the weight of the wearer, but also supports the sides of the foot tending to correctany tendency of the foot to turn and wear the shoe more at one side than the other, and to insure the flat and even wearing of the outer sole. The slightly hollowed surface of the insole due to the tapered marginal strip also contributes greatly to the comfort of the wearer as well as increasing the life of the shoe.

A. composite insole made as above described may be stitched into a shoe, the tough marginal band thereof serving to receive and hold the stitchings even at high tension, which would be impossible if the cork portion of the blank were not reinforced by such a band. As the band is narrow, the insole is to all intents and purposes of the same effect as an insole entirely of cork, while the presence of the marginal band keeps the cork sole in place and renders the shoe to which it is applied just as durable as though the entire insole were made of leather. Moreover, the cork-fabric sheet, of which the body of the insole is composed, is lighter, more elastic and more Watertight than an insole made wholly of leather or the like; and by reason of the reinforcement of a strong substantially inelastic fabric, such as cotton drilling cemented to the cork sheet, possesses suflicient tensile strength to withstand the strain of lasting the upper to the insole, while the marginal leather band gives to the composite article sufficient toughness to withstand the cutting action of tightly drawn stitches. The outer margins of the cork sheet, the fabric sheet and the leather band are coincident as shown in the drawings; and the three parts together form a unitary insole possessing the lightness, elasticity and moisture resisting properties of cork, the toughness of leather and the tensile strength of the fabric.

I claim:

1. A composite insole for boots and shoes comprising the combination of a cork sheet,

said fabric sheets around the margin of said cork-fabric sheet, said band of leather being 15 tapered in thickness from its outer to its inner edge, and the outer margins of said cork sheet, fabric sheet and band being coincident.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, 20 this seventh day of March 1908.

GEORGE W. BELONGA.

a substantially inelastic, fabric reinforcingsheet cemented thereto, and a band of leather secured to the fabric side of said cork-fabric sheet around the margin thereof, said band of leather being tapered in thickness from its outer to its inner edge, and the outer margin of said cork sheet, fabric sheet and I band being coincident.

2. A composite insole for boots and shoes comprising the combination of a cork sheet, a substantially inelastic, fabric reinforcing I Witnesses: sheet cemented to each side of said cork; ROBERT GUSHMAN, sheet, and a band of leather secured to one of CHARLES D. VVooDBERRY. 

